Automatic magnetic circuit-breaker.



No. 662,979. Patented Dec. 4, I900.

W. M. SCOTT.

AUTOMATIC MAGNETIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1900u 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR. 5 )2 W N fiWvM WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY. I

rm: NOHRI5 PETERS ca, vac-mums. WASHINGTON. u. c.

No. 662,979. Patented Dec. 4, I900.

W. M. SCOTT.

AUTOMATIC MAGNETIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1900.] (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR.

. ATTORNEY.

No. 662,979. Patented Dec. 4, I900. w. m. SCOTT.

AUTOMATIC MAGNETIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Shaet 3 I o H 2/ I l I I 22 "W I x x .J I I L553 i i o 'H Mil! LV/TNESSES: [NVE/VTOA.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"WILLIAM M. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTTER ELECTRICAL AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC MAGNETIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 662,979, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed April 27, 1900. Serial No. 14,520. (No model.)

T0 to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that '1, WILLIAM M. Scorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Magnetic Circuit- Breaker, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic magnetic circuit-breakers; and the purpose of the invention is to produce a circuit-breaker which shall be free from the disastrous effects incident upon the arcing which accompanies the interruption of heavy currents of considerable voltage. To efiect this result,the movable portion of the switch comprises two members, forming a main and an auxiliary path for the current, the principle of operation being that the secondary member is first to 1nake the circuit upon the closing of the switch and last to break it upon opening.

In my device the action is such that upon opening the main-switch member is first disconnected froin the circuit at the end most remote from that at which the circuit is finally opened by the auxiliary contacts and at which point the arcing takes place. It will be seen that the liability of the main contact to be brought: into circuit again (during the act of opening) by the expansion of the arc is thus materially reduced.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device in the closed position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my device, showing the lower end of the main-switch member disconnected from its fixed cooperating contact. Fig. 4 is a similar view in the open position. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the de vice, showing means for adjustment. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on line 5c of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detailof another form of means for adjustment. Fig. 8 is a vertical crosssection on line y y.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The main-switch bridge 1 is secured to the supporting-member 2, which is adjustably supported by its toggle connection 3 and a pin 4, operating in the slot 5 of the framework.

The said projection 4 has a laterally horizontal movement in the slot 5 of the framework and also a rotative movement. The supporting member 2 also carries extending from its free end the resilient arm 6, with the movable contact 7 of a supplemental switch in shunt with the main switch 1. The handlever S, pivoted to the framework at 9, is connected to the switch-supporting member 2 by the adjustable toggle member 19. Spring 10 is connected between the projection 11 on lever 8 and the supporting member 2, so as to exert its tension to cause the movement of the member 2 into the open position. The pivoted lever S is manually operative in one direction against said spring tension to cause the closing of the switches, and the latch is adapted to restrain said lever S in the closed position against said spring actuation until said latch is actuated by the core 13 upon the occurrence of an overload in the solenoid let to cause the release of said lever 8. When the lever S is in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the projection 4. of memher 2 occupies the left-hand end of slot 5 and the switch-bridge 1 has its contact-faces firmly pressed against the fixed contacts 15 and 16. The supplemental bridge 18, which is insulated from the switch-bridge 1, is also pressed in contact against the fixed contacts 15 and 16, and the efficient engagement of the shuntcontact 7 and 17 is also maintained. Upon the release of lever 8 and its movement toward the open position in response to spring 10 the first responsive movement of the memher 2 is that of its lower end carrying the projection a, said projection 4 moving laterallyin the slot 5 to the right-hand end thereof, as shown in Fig. The result of this move ment is the separation of the lower end of the bridge 1 from its fixed contact 16. The current is now carried from 16 through the connecting-strip 20, supplemental metallic bridge 18, and the contact of the shunt-switch? and 17, as shown in Fig. 3. A further movement toward the open position causes the separation of bridge 1 and supplemental bridge 18 from the contact-plate 15, then the separation of contact 7 and 17, and then the separation of bridge 1 and supplemental bridge 18 from the contact 16 in the final open position, as shown in Fig. at. In Figs. 5 and 6 the nut 21 is adapted to bear against the rim 22 of the supporting-arm 2 to limit the movement of the pivot 4.- in slot 5. In Figs. 8 and 9 the threaded eccentric bushing 23 serves to shift the position of the pin in the arm 2, the regulating of the position of pin at in the arm 2 being equivalent to the regulating of the position of the pin 4 in the slot 5. The further result of this translatedposition of the member 2 is to cause the more efficient engagement of the supplemental contact 18 with the terminal 15 and the more efficient engagement of the contact 7 with its cooperating contact 17.

V7 hat I claim is 1. In an electric switch, a supporting-base, a switch-supporting arm mounted thereon, having limited rotative and translative movement relative thereto, a lever in operative relation to said switch-supporting arm, and spring means for controlling the movement of said switch-arm in relation to said base and operating-lever, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member on a laterallymovable fulcrum, a lever in operative relation with said supporting member, spring means for actuating the same, latching means for normally restraining said actuation, and automatic magnetic means for releasing the restraining means,substantially as described.

3. In an electric switch the combination of a switch-supporting member, having a laterally movable fulcrum carrying a mainswitch bridge and a supplemental bridge in shunt therewith, and a manually-operative lever having toggle-joint connection with the switchsupporting member, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member having a laterally-movable rotatable bearing, and a manually-operative actnating-leverin operative relationship with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member connected with the base by slot-and-projection engagement so as to permit of a limited rotative and translative movement or" said member, and a handlever having operative relationship with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member-connected with the base by slot-and-prejection engagement so as to permit of a limited rotative and translative movement of said member, and a handlever having toggle-joint connection with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

7. In an electric switch, the combination of a main bridge and a supplemental bridge, a switch-s1 pporting member for carrying same, having pin-and-slot engagement with the base so that said member may have a limited ro-- tative and translative movement to procure the first separation of the main bridge from its cooperative fixed contacts at the end most remote from the point at which the circuit is finally opened, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a main and supplemental electric switch, a switch-supporting member for same, having a limited rotative and translative movement, the main and supplemental switches beingso disposed and supported that the main-switch member is first disconnected from the circuit at the end most remote from the point at which the circuitis finally opened by the supplemental switch, substantially as described.

I). The combination of a main switch and supplemental switch the contacts of which are substantially in vertical alinement, the movable contacts being so disposed and supported upon a switch-supporting member having limited rotative and translative movement, that the main-switch member is first disconnected from the circuit at the end most remote from the point at which the circuit is finally opened by the supplemental switch, substantially as described.

10. In an electric switeh,a supporting-base, a switch-supporting arm mounted thereon, having limited rotative and tral'islative movement relative thereto, a lever in operative relation to said switch-supporting arm, spring means for controlling the movement oi' said switch-supporting arm in relation to said base and operating-lever, and adjustable means for limiting the translative movement of its rotative bearing, substantially as described.

11. In an electric switch, the combination of aswitch-supporting member-on a laterallymovable fulcrum, adjustable means for limiting the lateral movement of said fulcrum, a lever in operative relation with said supporting member, spring means for actuating the same, latching means for normally restraining said actuation, and automatic magnetic means for releasing the restraining means, substantially as described.

12. In an electric switch the combination of a switch-supporting member, having a laterallymovable fulcrum, carrying a mainswitch bridge and a supplemental bridge in shunt therewith, adjustable means for limiting the lateral movement of said iulcrn 1n, and a manually operative lever having togglejoint connection with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

13. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supportin g member having a laterally-movable rotatable bearing, adjustable means for limiting the lateral movement of said rotatable bearing, and a manually-operative actuating-lever in operative relationship with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

let. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member connected with the base by slot-and-projection engage- IIO ment so as to permit of a limited rotative and trans'lative movement of said member, adjustable means for limiting the translative movement of the projection in the slot, and a hand-lever having toggle-joint connection with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

15. In an electric switch, the combination of a switch-supporting member connected with the base by slot-and-pin engagement so as to permit of a limited rotative and translative movement of said member, a movable eccentric bushing for said pin as means for adjusting the position of said engagement with respect to the switch-supporting memher, and a hand-lever having toggle-joint connection withthe switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

16. In an electric switch the combination of a switch-supporting memberhaving two ind ependently-ad j ustable points of support-,and a manually-operative actuating-lever for operating the same, one of the adjustable points of support of the supporting member being with the base, and the other being with the manually-operative actuating member, substantially as described.

17. In an electric switch the combination of a switch-supporting member, and a manually-operative actuating-lever in operative relationship with the switch-supporting mem her, the switch-supporting member having adjustable connection with the base, and an adjustable connection with the manually-operative actuating member, substantially as described.

18. In an electric switch the combination of separable cooperative contacts, a movable contact-supporting member, and a manuallyoperative actuating-lever having adjustable connection with the contact-supporting member, and the contact-supporting member also having adjustable rotatable connection with the base, substantially as described.

19. In an electric switch the combination of a supporting-base, a movable switch-supporting member and a manually-operative actuating member, the switch-supporting member having one adjustable point of support with the base and another adjustable point of support with the manually-operative actuating member, substantially as described.

20. In an electric switch the combination of a switch-supporting member having adjustable connection with the base, and a manually-operative actuating member having adj ustable operative relationship with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

21. In an electric switch the combination of a base, a switch-supporting member having adjustable rotative connection therewith, and a hand-lever having an adjustable togglejoint connection with the switch-supporting member, substantially as described.

22. In an electric switch the combination of a base, separable cooperative contacts, a movable contact-supporting member, said supporting member having two movable points of support, each point independently adjustable for the purpose of securingequally:

efficient engagement'of all of the separable cooperative contacts.

VIM. M. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

JNo. STOKES ADAMS, MAE HOFFMANN. 

